The present invention relates generally to digital music synthesizers, and more particularly to synthesizers for playing prerecorded hymns.
Electronic music synthesizer devices have been introduced for playing musical tunes and musical accompaniment by transforming digitized data, which is representative of the tune or accompaniment to be played, into corresponding sounds. Essentially, the tunes are first digitized through one of a variety of methods and then played back upon command by the synthesizer device. The playback may be immediate, so that a user can operate, e.g., an electronic keyboard to produce music electronically, or the playback may be delayed, i.e., data representing the digitized music can be stored on a recording medium for playback at some time after recording.
The present invention is directed principally to a synthesizer system wherein digitized music is stored and played back by the system upon user command. Among other advantages, music synthesizer playback systems permit music notes to be represented in discrete digitized data structures that can be stored in physically small locations. One consequence is that the digitized data can be easily modified and played back in a variety of styles, without the need to retain live musicians. For example, the synthesizer can selectively simulate a wide variety of musical instruments, and the tune can be played by the synthesizer to sound as if it were played by a live musician in any desired key and at any desired tempo using a violin, or an organ, or a wind instrument, and so on. Another advantage is that any one of a large number of stored tunes can be retrieved very quickly from the data base with little or no waiting period between tunes.
Typically, synthesizer systems which play digitally prerecorded tunes provide a means for selecting the particular tune desired from a list of recorded tunes. Further, as alluded to above, some synthesizer systems provide a means for establishing a particular orchestration style in which the desired tune is to be played. For purposes of the present invention, the orchestration of a synthesized tune refers to the number and types of simulated instruments produced by the synthesizer system to generate the audible tune.
Although some synthesizer systems permit the user to establish an orchestration for a tune, it is the case that the selected orchestration is imposed on the entire tune. As recognized by the present invention, however, it is frequently desirable to provide for orchestrating each part of the tune independent of the other parts. For purposes of the present invention, a xe2x80x9cpartxe2x80x9d of a tune refers to a sequence of notes that is played or performed simultaneously with one or more other note sequences, i.e., xe2x80x9cpartsxe2x80x9d, such that the parts of a tune are harmonized together.
The capability to orchestrate a tune part-by-part is particularly desirable in the case of a certain genre of tunes known as hymns. Typically, hymns are written in four-part harmony, and consequently lend themselves to orchestration of each part on its own. The four parts of a hymn are soprano (also referred to in certain applications as xe2x80x9cmelodyxe2x80x9d), alto (referred to in certain applications as xe2x80x9caccompaniment xe2x80x9c1xe2x80x9dxe2x80x9d), tenor (referred to in certain applications as xe2x80x9caccompaniment xe2x80x9c2xe2x80x9dxe2x80x9d), and bass (referred to in certain applications as xe2x80x9ccontraxe2x80x9d).
As further recognized by the present invention, allowing the user to define the orchestration of a hymn (or to select from several predefined part-by-part orchestrations) adds a great deal of variety to the way a hymn can be played, without the data storage capacity problems that would attend a system in which each hymn was recorded multiple times using a multiple number of predefined orchestrations.
Additionally, hymns are distinguishable from other genre of tunes because they often include an xe2x80x9camenxe2x80x9d phrase at the end of the last verse of a hymn. An xe2x80x9camenxe2x80x9d phrase is a plagal cadence, keyed to the subdominant and tonic of the hymn, to which the word xe2x80x9camenxe2x80x9d is sung. As recognized by the present invention, it would be desirable to provide the user with a simple means for causing an appropriately keyed xe2x80x9camenxe2x80x9d phrase to be played at the end of the last verse of a hymn.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a synthesizer device which can selectively play any one of a number of digitally stored tunes. Another object of the present invention is to provide a synthesizer device which permits the user to selectively establish the orchestration of each part of a multi-part tune. Still another object of the present invention is to provide a digital hymnal which automatically generates a plagal cadence at the end of a hymn in response to a user-generated command. Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a digital hymnal which is easy to use and cost-effective to manufacture.
A music synthesizer device for playing at least one prestored tune which is characterized by at least first and second simultaneously-played parts includes a data storage medium. The data storage medium stores a first digital data series representative of the first part of the tune and a second digital data series representative of the second part of the tune.
Additionally, a manipulable input surface is provided for generating an orchestration signal in response to manipulation of the input surface by a user, and an orchestrator receives the orchestration signal. In response, the orchestrator establishes a first orchestration attribute for the first part and a second orchestration attribute for the second part. Further, a computer is interfaced with the orchestrator and the data storage medium for causing the first and second parts of the tune to be simultaneously played in accordance with the first and second orchestration attributes.
Preferably, a digital synthesizer is electrically connected to the computer. Accordingly, the computer can generate a first control signal representative of the first part and a second control signal representative of the second part, and the synthesizer receives the control signals and generates an audible signal in response.
In one presently preferred embodiment, each digital data series includes a sequence of note bytes, and the tone and length of each note of the tune are represented by a respective single note byte. Furthermore, the device preferably includes an amen selector for generating an amen signal. As intended by the present invention, the computer receives the amen signal and causes the synthesizer to play a plagal cadence at the end of the tune.
At least one sound speaker and a portable housing are provided for holding the sound speaker, computer, data storage medium, and synthesizer. Desirably, a hand-held remote unit holds the input surface and establishes a means by which a user can remotely transmit the orchestration signal to the computer. If desired, a remote sound speaker can be electrically connected to the synthesizer.
In another aspect of the present invention, a digital hymnal includes a portable housing, and a plurality of four-part hymns, each having a digital representation, are stored in the housing. A hymn selector is provided for selecting one of the hymns for playing, and an orchestrator interactively establishes a respective orchestration attribute for each of the four parts of the hymn. Also, a computer is mounted in the housing and is operably engaged with the hymn selector and orchestrator for associating the respective orchestration attribute with the respective part of the hymn. In accordance with the present invention, the computer generates a control signal which is representative of each part and sends the control signal to a synthesizer system for generating an audible representation of the hymn.
In still another aspect of the present invention, a digital hymnal includes a plurality of electronically stored hymns, with each hymn being characterized by a tonic and each having a conclusion. Further, the digital hymnal includes a user-manipulable amen selector for generating an amen signal, as well as a hymn selector that is interfaced with the electronically stored hymns for selecting one of the hymns for playing. Means are provided for receiving the amen signal and for automatically generating a plagal cadence having a predetermined relationship to the tonic of the selected hymn at the conclusion of the hymn.
In yet another aspect of the present invention, an electronic music synthesizer device is disclosed for playing at least one prestored tune which is defined by a plurality of notes. The device of the present invention includes a data structure that is characterized by a plurality of data series, and each data series includes a plurality of note bytes. As envisioned by the present invention, each series represents a part of the tune, and the tone and length of each note of the tune are represented by a respective single note byte. An electronic data storage medium is included for storing the digital data structure, and a computer is interfaced with the data storage medium for causing an audible representation of the tune to be played in accordance with the data structure.
In another aspect of the present invention, an electronic music synthesizer device is disclosed. The device plays at least one prestored tune having at least first and second simultaneously-played parts, and includes first means for storing a first digital data series which is representative of the first part of the tune. The first means also stores a second digital data series which is representative of the second part of the tune.
Additionally, second means are provided for selectively generating an orchestration signal, and third means receive the orchestration signal and establish a first orchestration attribute for the first part and a second orchestration attribute for the second part in response thereto. Fourth means are interfaced with the first means and third means for causing the first and second parts of the tune to be simultaneously played in accordance with the first and second orchestration attributes.
In yet another aspect of the present invention, a method for playing at least one prestored tune having at least first and second simultaneously-played parts includes the steps of storing a first digital data series representative of the first part of the tune and a second digital data series representative of the second part of the tune. An orchestration signal is selectively generated, and a first orchestration attribute is established for the first part and a second orchestration attribute for the second part in response. Then, the first and second parts of the tune are simultaneously played in accordance with the first and second orchestration attributes.
The details of the present invention, both as to its structure and operation, can best be understood in reference to the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals refer to like parts, and in which: